AP junior doctors boycott emergency services amid unresolved demands

Junior doctors in Andhra Pradesh escalated their 8-day strike by boycotting emergency services and ICUs. They demand a 30% stipend hike, rollback of the increased retirement age for senior doctors, and fair recruitment as per NMC norms.

Junior doctors across government medical colleges and hospitals in Andhra Pradesh intensified their ongoing protest on Monday by boycotting emergency services, ICUs, and operation theatres, as their strike entered its eighth day without a resolution from the state government. The escalation has significantly impacted medical services, including maternal and pediatric care, forcing hospital administrations to deploy senior faculty members and assistant surgeons to man critical wards.

Doctors' Primary Demands

The Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) is pressing for three primary demands: a 30 per cent hike in stipends due since January 2026, the rollback of the proposal to increase the retirement age of senior doctors from 62 to 65 years, and the recruitment of MSc and PhD candidates as assistant professors strictly in accordance with National Medical Commission (NMC) norms. "Since January, we have been sending official letters to the government regarding the stipend hike but received no response. We were pushed to this situation. From today, all emergency services in government medical colleges are being stopped. We are ready for negotiations, but we must stand for our rights," said Dr. Akash, a second-year postgraduate at Andhra Medical College.

The agitating doctors expressed concerns that increasing the retirement age and hiring non-medical degree holders for faculty positions would severely limit job opportunities for the "new generation" of postgraduates. "By increasing the retirement age to 65, slots for new assistant professors are being blocked. Additionally, giving assistant professor roles to MSc and PhD holders while medical postgraduates remain jobless is not acceptable," Dr. V. Bhandar Naidu, a super-speciality PG, remarked.

Hospitals Enact Contingency Measures

In Visakhapatnam, the administration of King George Hospital (KGH) and Andhra Medical College has activated contingency plans to ensure patient care is not entirely paralysed. Dr. Santhiya Devi, Principal of Andhra Medical College, stated, "The postgraduates have called off emergency services from today. We have made adequate arrangements. All faculty members are adjusted to attend to outpatients and emergencies, including obstetric and pediatric cases, ICUs, and ventilator care. We have also received a few doctors from the DMHO and deployed service postgraduates to ensure patient care remains uninterrupted."

Dr. Chandrashekhar Naidu, In-charge Superintendent of KGH, added that faculty and 55 additional personnel are currently working in rounds to maintain casualty and labour room operations.

Negotiations at a Standstill

Despite multiple meetings with state health officials in Amaravati, APJUDA representatives claim that no meaningful negotiation has taken place. "We have met the government three times, but only meetings have happened, no negotiations. We don't belong here; we belong in our hospitals doing our work. We hope for a meaningful conversation with the CM and Health Minister," said Dr. Ranjith Dahvale, AMC APJUDA Vice President.

A state panel of junior doctors is scheduled to meet the State Finance Secretary later today, with the association warning that the boycott of emergency services will continue until a favourable outcome is reached. (ANI)

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